


a lemon to a knife fight

by moonstwo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dogs, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of homophobia, literal fluff, mentions of animal abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 12:19:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17121239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonstwo/pseuds/moonstwo
Summary: “It’s kind of like, a show and tell except the limited edition metallic gold Beyblade your uncle got you from Japan is replaced with a purebred dog you spent three months of your salary on.”Baekhyun joins a dog show and finds out that if Meokmool was the Do Empire’s best bitch, then surely Kyungsoo was their best stud.Warnings: mentions of animal abuse





	a lemon to a knife fight

**Author's Note:**

> originally written for round 2 of baekbit! i honestly can't thank my beta enough for holding my hand through this and being the cutest and bestest cheerleader even when i felt the worst about the fic!! i truly appreciate you more than words can say hehe ilu ღ(ˇ◡ˇ)
> 
> (also i apologise for turning meokmool into a standard poodle!!)

“It’s kind of like, a show and tell except the limited edition metallic gold Beyblade your uncle got you from Japan is replaced with a purebred dog you spent three months of your salary on.”

“Hn. And you get money at the end of it?”

“If you present the best dog, yes.”

“Hn.” Baekhyun grunts again, as Kyungsoo simplifies the proceedings of the show for him. America has the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. England has Crufts. The purebred, four-legged elites of Seoul have the Seoul Metropolitan Dog Show. Although comparatively younger than its Western counterparts, the Seoul Metropolitan Dog Show commands no less prestige; every spring, the breeders in all of South Korea and the region gather, every one of them vying for championship titles for their prized canines.

Dogs first competed with other dogs of the same breed, after which the best of that breed would go on to compete with dogs in the same breed groups. And so terriers would go against terriers and hounds against hounds, until the best of seven breed groups emerge. From an entry pool of hundreds, only seven of the best get to compete for the exalted crown of Best in Show.

It all seemed a little over-dramatic to Baekhyun; all dogs are the best dogs, and so he didn’t really see a point to all this pomp. Also according to the show’s rules, only thoroughbreds were allowed to join; Baekhyun pouts at the thought of all the good mongrel boys and girls that were disqualified even before they could eat a shot.

“So? Would you consider joining?”

Baekhyun had let out a bark of laughter at Kyungsoo’s suggestion, which earned him a light punch to his bicep.

But really, it was too funny. Mongryong wasn’t like Kyungsoo’s dog, Meokmool. Meokmool was royalty in the canine world, descended from a line of champion poodles. The Dos, always cognizant of her potential as a future champion, raised her on a luxurious diet and brisk training regiment befitting of a princess. Mongryong on the other was a regular corgi, raised on store-bought kibble and leisurely walks around the neighbourhood. If Baekhyun were to list Mongryong’s skills he’d have ‘lazing around at home’ and ‘barking at the television’ up top; ‘sitting still’ and ‘primping and posing’ would never even cross his mind.

Their owners too were cut from different cloths — if not for the puppy obedience class they both attended, Baekhyun would have never met Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo was after all the heir to D.O. Poodles, a prince who lived in a big house in a nice neighbourhood and never had scuffs on his shoes, and Baekhyun was a pauper, a slave to his regular office job, living everyday for the bread.

But Kyungsoo’s eyes were eager and sincere. He called Mongryong over from where he’s sniffing a wildflower in the grass and stroked his long snout. “He’d be great for it.” He said, and let his hands travel down the corgi’s sturdy shoulders and to his rump. “He has strong bones and a lovely disposition. And your grandmother registered him with the Korean Kennel Club so he’s automatically eligible to join.”

“Lovely? You really think my dog's lovely?” Baekhyun had scoffed at that. “Jongdae says Mongryong is a little bitch.”

Baekhyun‘s chest squeezes at the memory of Kyungsoo crinkling his nose, unimpressed at the derogatory use of the term. “Technically, Mongryong’s a little stud. And also you let Mongryong chase him and nip at his ankles, when you and I know he’s good at listening to the stop command. It’s no wonder Jongdae feels that way about Mongryong.”

“There’s just something about the sight of Jongdae’s slim, sexy ankles makes Mongryong go crazy. It’s like he thinks Jongdae is a funny two-legged cow!” Baekhyun laughed out loud, barely masking his mirth, which gets Kyungsoo to laugh too.

And that really, that smile that split Kyungsoo’s face like the sun rising on the horizon, bathing the sky with morning’s first light, was all it took to convince Baekhyun to relent.

“Fine.” He acquiesced, writing his name on the form Kyungsoo had passed him earlier. “I’ll give it my best shot.” 

 

\---

 

 _Best in Breed (Pembroke Welsh Corgi)_ and _Best in Group (Herding)_ — Baekhyun rubs his thumb over the words, embossed in a luxurious gold which stood out against the royal blue rosettes that were pinned to Mongryong’s collar. The glint of the gold lettering looked like beautiful droplets of liquid stardust every time it caught the light. Noise fills the holding room, people and dogs and hair dryers in action while they waited to go into the ring or rested after a competition, but Baekhyun can only focus on Mongryong.

A little less than a year ago, Mongryong was the scrawny runt of the litter. Baekhyun remembers when his grandmother first placed Mongryong in his arms. The pup smelled of milk and hay, and though he seemed a little afraid at being lifted off the ground away from his mother, he was brave, sniffing the buttons of Baekhyun’s thick winter coat curiously and chasing after Baekhyun’s fingers with his milk teeth. It would’ve been enough for Baekhyun if Mongryong were to grow up with just his mother’s sweet nature, or his father’s handsome coat, but to exceed all expectations and be crowned champion of corgis and herding dogs… Baekhyun’s chest squeezes hard at the overwhelming feeling of happiness threatening to spill over and quickly buries his face into the coarse fur of Mongryong’s back. Mongryong, bless him, hardly flinches, focusing instead of his ultimate goal of destroying his little pizza-shaped toy.

“Is this a new grooming method? Because usually exhibitors use scissors and brushes, not their faces.”

Baekhyun jumps up and away from Mongryong, and Kyungsoo is stood by their bench staring at him, looking smug even in his lame green jumper and grey slacks combination. At first Baekhyun doesn’t recognise the regal dog stood next to him but he realises it’s Meokmool, looking very different than usual with her charcoal-coloured curls coiffed in a poofy competition-appropriate hairstyle. Mongryong’s rump is shaking as he catches sight of his friend, and he scrabbles to get off the bench to get to Meokmool. There are two rosettes on Meokmool’s collar, identical to Mongryong’s except hers were awarded for being the best of the Standard Poodles and the best of Non-Sporting Group.

“Ah! Congratulations!” Baekhyun beams, and pulls Kyungsoo into a quick hug. “Now we’ll be competing against each other in tomorrow’s conformation show!” He decides against enveloping Meokmool in a hug, choosing instead to scratch her under her chin; Kyungsoo would’ve decked him if he messed up even one curl on Meokmool’s body.

“May the best dog win.”

“That would be Mongryong, of course.” Baekhyun taunts. “Meokmool,” He continues, bending over to get closer to the poodle. “You’re a beautiful bitch with healthy teeth but you’re going down.”

“Oho? Is that a threat, Byun Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo sounds serious but there’s a hint of laughter in his voice. He reaches his hand out and Baekhyun flinches immediately in response. “Perhaps I should’ve poisoned these treats I made Mongryong?”

Kyungsoo pulls out a paper bag from the crossbody bag he has slung across his chest. The dogs perk up, rapt with attention as soon as they hear the rustling of the paper bag. Meokmool, ever the lady, sits patiently in front of Kyungsoo, with only her wagging tail to show her barely concealed excitement. Mongryong was the complete opposite; he begged loudly and obnoxiously with his yowls, not quite unlike Baekhyun when he wanted Kyungsoo’s attention too. “I thought Mongryong deserved some treats for being such a good boy.”

“Dog biscuits!”

“Homemade, with organic ingredients. It's healthy but I can assure you they’re very tasty — they have the Meokmool stamp of approval.” Baekhyun was impressed. Meokmool was notoriously picky, so if these treats were something she deigned to consume then they must be phenomenal.

“This pack was made especially for Mongryong.” Kyungsoo holds out the paper towards Baekhyun, who reaches in and pulls out a biscuit, shaped perfectly like a corgi. “Cute, huh?”

Baekhyun can't decide what was cuter, the corgi-shaped biscuits, or the thought of Kyungsoo at home, with a white streak of flour across his cheek, cutting out little corgis out of dough for Mongryong.

Patience is not one of Mongryong’s strong suits and he waits, whining, for Baekhyun to give him permission. The word okay was barely out of Baekhyun’s mouth before Mongryong swipes it out of his palm, chewing messily on the biscuit so that it crumbles all over the bench. The greedy corgi vacuums every tiny crumb off the surface before he begins to nose at Kyungsoo, begging for more treats from the bag he was holding.

Baekhyun tuts at Mongryong’s shameless behaviour but Kyungsoo doesn't seem to mind. He bends over to cup Mongryong’s face in his hands gently, whispering praises to him and Baekhyun watches, heart nearly fit to burst as Mongryong reciprocates the attention Kyungsoo is lavishing on him with sloppy kisses to his cheek. He’s never wanted to be a dog so badly in his life.

“Haven’t I been a good boy too?”

Baekhyun bats his eyelashes, demeanour dripping with mock naïveté, and Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at him.

“Don’t I deserve a treat too?”

This is where Baekhyun had expected a shove, or snorting laughter, and maybe a dog biscuit shoved in his mouth if Baekhyun laughed with his mouth too wide and Kyungsoo was feeling particularly spiteful. It was just how they were. Baekhyun flirts and Kyungsoo responds in kind with a solid wall built with the stinging barb that was his tongue and the might of his fists. Baekhyun loved it though, the masochist that he was, and Kyungsoo lets his guard down further every time Baekhyun bats his lashes, exposing his soft, doughy centre where he reciprocates Baekhyun’s quips with red ears and gentle touches.

And so Baekhyun was only half expecting Kyungsoo to place a warm hand in his nape — he braces himself for the earning squeeze, a mainstay in Kyungsoo’s bag of punishments, but instead, Kyungsoo cups the back of his neck gently, and Baekhyun feels his hair start to stand, suddenly very aware of the younger man’s fingers brushing over a very sensitive spot. Kyungsoo then takes a step closer, so close that not even a finger could pass in the space between their noses.

“Wha-?”

“Good boy.” Kyungsoo says, voice low, and he begins to stroke Baekhyun he would a dog; his fingernails dug lightly into the sensitive skin on his nape and it takes all of Baekhyun not to gasp at how titillating it was. Surely Kyungsoo could hear his heartbeat thundering with how close he was standing.

Baekhyun longs for Kyungsoo to close the minute distance between their lips, and kiss him.

But he doesn’t. Kyungsoo pulls away, slipping away like glistening seawater, slipping through Baekhyun’s fingers. He lets his hand linger on Baekhyun’s neck however, and Baekhyun leans into the warmth of his palm, not unlike an alley cat begging for attention.

“I want you to meet my father.” It’s a sudden announcement and it throws Baekhyun off.

“Your father?”

“Yes. He’s an accomplished breeder-” Kyungsoo looks at Meokmool. “And he helped pioneer the sport of dog showing here. I think he’d be pleased to see new blood.”

Baekhyun beams; Kyungsoo wanted to show him off! Ideally Kyungsoo would be showing him off as his boyfriend but that was a situation still in test simulation mode in Baekhyun’s imagination, so Baekhyun settles for being new blood.

The security team guarding the VIP room greet Kyungsoo with deference, bending nearly 90 degrees at the waist before they open the door for the two men to enter.

Baekhyun’s dying to make a quip about Kyungsoo being the Nick Young of the dog show world but his it dies on his tongue when he comes face to face with the man he assumes is Kyungsoo’s father — an older man, a bonafide silver fox, was sat lounging in an armchair. Baekhyun licks his lips nervously as he took in the neatly pressed linen suit (he even had a pocket square!) and the expensive watch on his wrist, and Baekhyun thinks the possibility of Kyungsoo being actual royalty may not be too far from the truth.

“Father, I want to you to meet Baek-”

“I watched you in the ring and it was a disaster.”

“-hyun. Oh.”

Kyungsoo had started to deflate, shoulders falling at his father’s cold words.

“Your gait speed was too fast.” Kyungsoo’s father carries on speaking, ignoring Baekhyun’s presence entirely. “You were walking ahead of Meokmool when you’re supposed to be in step with her. Also, you stacked Meokmool in her pose too late. Judge Kim was already done judging the French Bulldog when you finally decided to put her in her pose. You’re lucky that ugly little Keeshond was being mouthy and distracted him for a while. And the Modified Continental Clip? Really, Kyungsoo? All our poodles have to be shown in the Classic Continental Clip. This is utterly shameful.”

He sighs deeply, looking Meokmool over, whose blown out fur seemed to also have wilted under his harsh scolding. Bending over, he pries her mouth open and inspects her teeth. “Are you still feeding her those god-awful biscuits? They make her mouth smell.”

“But…I made them, and they’re healthy, and Meokmool likes them a lot more than the-”

Mr. Do shakes his head, unobliging. “Don’t be stupid.” It's a firm assertion, his frustration laid completely bare even in front of Baekhyun. “No more of this stupidity in the next round, you hear?” Crestfallen, Kyungsoo looks down at his shoes. “I’m sorry.”

Irritation tingles, like spice on his skin. “Why are you apologising? You still made it to the conformation and that’s great, isn't it?” The comment slips out of Baekhyun’s mouth before he could stop himself. Kyungsoo is a little surprised, but there’s a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes. His father, however, turns to look at Baekhyun with narrowed eyes, his annoyance toward Baekhyun for mouthing back almost palpable.

“Who are you?” His voice was clipped, and Baekhyun bows, low and deferential, in an attempt to smooth the situation over.

“I’m Baekhyun, nice to meet you? This is my dog, Mongryong.”

Kyungsoo takes over. “Father, this is only Baekhyun and Mongryong’s first dog show and they’ve managed to cinch _Best in Breed_ and _Best in Group_ for their categories.”

Embarrassed at the praise, Baekhyun places a hand lightly on Kyungsoo’s elbow. There’s an awkward beat as Kyungsoo stills, regards the fingers curled around his elbow with a glance. Baekhyun has always been handsy; he craved physical contact like how vampires craved blood, and Kyungsoo was never one to deny him of this craving, content to let the older man’s slender fingers dance on his waist, or have his thighs squeezed by pretty hands. But then he sees Mr. Do’s sneer, Baekhyun realises only then that he should’ve really kept his hands to himself just this once.

Flustered, Baekhyun tries to remove his hand but Kyungsoo places a reassuring hand over his. “He’s worked hard, and I’m really proud of him.”

For all of Kyungsoo’s excitement, his father seemed totally unimpressed. “And what about Mongryong’s pedigree? Are any of his parents champions?”

“Well, no, my grandmother’s not very mobile so she’s never been able to bring Mongryong’s parents to any of these fancy shows in the city. But they’re both registered purebreds with the Kennel Club, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“So, an upstart.”

“Upstart.” Baekhyun laughs in incredulity, feeling his anger rising. “They have their papers. And so does Mongryong.”

“I was talking about you.”

The comment cuts through Baekhyun like a knife, and even Kyungsoo is taken aback. Warm fingers brush against Baekhyun’s wrist discreetly; Kyungsoo’s touch is reassuring but the nonchalance with which Mr. Do hoists himself out his chair to inspect Meokmool irks Baekhyun deeply. He stacks her into a pose, as though he was her getting ready to be judged. Hands slide deftly from Meokmool’s jaw to her shoulders, down to her rump and then her tail, and he inspects her just as Kyungsoo had done to Mongryong when he first asked Baekhyun to join the SM Dog Show; his actions were smooth, practiced, like he’s done it hundreds, no, thousands of times, with every puppy born into his household.

“Good breeding, and a good upbringing.” Mr. Do says infuriatingly casually, like he’s reciting off a list. “It’s not only important for dogs, but also for their owners.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“You don’t belong here. Champions are made over generations and generations of careful breeding. They cannot be made overnight by someone who decides to join on a whim.”

Baekhyun stews, biting down hard on his lower lip to keep from cussing the older man out. Meanwhile, Mr. Do continues to stroke Meokmool under her chin. “I’ve known Madam Choi, the lady who came in second place to you in the Best of Group, a very long time. Her family’s well known in England for breeding Basset Hounds and she’s now based in South Korea. Being able to enter tomorrow’s conformation show would really benefit her and her company, more than you it would to you, since you’re clearly just here for fun.”

“Why are you bringing her up?” Baekhyun challenges and Kyungsoo’s grip on his wrist tightens, reminding him not to rise to his father’s provocations.

“If you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of exhibitors who are much more deserving and well-bred then I sincerely hope you consider pulling yourself out of the competition, voluntarily, so that Madam Choi can take part in the conformation.”

“I’m not giving up my spot.” Baekhyun’s tone is insistent, and he breaks out of Kyungsoo’s grasp to take step towards Mr. Do. He towers over the kneeling man, tries to assert himself like how he does when Sehun bugs him to pick up the tab one too many times in a month. “I won the right to compete, fair and square.”

Mr. Do lets out a little laugh of derision and stands up, rising to his full height. He’s not particularly tall but his demeanour was overwhelming up close, and the way he squares his shoulders pokes holes in Baekhyun’s bravado. “If you’re going to be stubborn,” Mr. Do says slowly, eyes flashing, and inexplicable dread rises in Baekhyun’s chest, quashing any remnants of effervescent happiness. “Then I would strongly advise you to be careful.”

It’s barely louder than a whisper, but the promise of a threat resounds in Baekhyun’s ears. He remembers hearing the horror stories from Kyungsoo — it was not unheard of to have chunks of long, glossy fur snipped off, tiny cuts pressed into paw pads with razors, and even poison, forced down the throats of dogs backstage. The tragic poisoning of Grand Champion Loey’s Yo Nice Skirt the Golden Retriever just before he took the stage at the conformation show two years ago made headlines across the country. Kyungsoo said it was obvious that the Affenpinscher’s jealous owner that did it but nobody was ever brought to justice. Bitter rivals would go to any lengths to jeopardise each other’s chances at winning the crown.

Kyungsoo had promised such cases were few and far between but Baekhyun didn’t want to take any chances; he moves to block Mongryong completely from Mr. Do’s view, as if the older man was somehow capable of transmitting poison with his eyes.

The sight of Baekhyun worried seems to please Mr. Do and he smirks, looking absolutely and terrifyingly evil. “Remember Kyungsoo,” He says, as he turns to leave. “No matter how much you try to dress them up, mutts will still be mutts.”

Baekhyun seethes in the wake of his departure. “Mutts!”

“I’m… my father can be somewhat of a purist.”

“No, really?” Purist was putting it too lightly and Baekhyun rolls his eyes at Kyungsoo, and then immediately feels slightly guilty for letting his irritation show. It wasn’t Kyungsoo he should be angry at anyway, but Kyungsoo’s father. He heaves, picking Mongryong up. “We’re gonna go now, then.”

Baekhyun’s plan for the night was to go home and get himself in the right headspace for the next day, i.e., change into his comfortable jammies and shovel obscene amounts of frozen strawberry yogurt into his mouth to numb the hurt Kyungsoo’s father had caused him earlier. But Kyungsoo’s pouting, and it’s an expression so rare on his face that Baekhyun can’t bear to leave. He agonises over whether he should bask in the satisfaction of having unlocked a new expression or if he should give in, tell him everything’s a-okay just to wipe the sad look off his face.

“Let me make it up to you?” Kyungsoo asks, reaching out for Baekhyun’s hand to soothe the electric thrum of irritation that thrummed under Baekhyun’s skin. And like always, Baekhyun relents. He gives in to Kyungsoo’s charm and lets him take him out for dinner, half as an apology and half as a proper treat just as he had promised before leading him to his father, like a cow to the slaughter.

 

\---

 

Except dinner meant pizza and little cups of pickled radish delivered to their usual spot in the park, a grassy knoll by the river where they’d spent countless afternoons and evenings training the dogs or just laying around, looking for animals in clouds. It was elevated high enough that they could see the city lights from across the river reflected on the water’s surface; they gradually become brighter, dancing on the river’s currents as evening falls.

“This is what you call a treat? Aren't you, like, rich?”

“Do you not like pizza?” Kyungsoo counters, and Baekhyun shoves the last bite of his pepperoni pizza into his mouth in lieu of an answer.

The silence of the park at dusk was punctuated only by the sounds of the river lapping gently on the shore, and the very irritating sounds of Baekhyun and the dogs chewing their dinner loudly. Like clockwork, his chewing earns him a searing comment from Kyungsoo about his table manners or lack thereof, but it doesn’t really inspire Baekhyun to quit. The sound of his name in Kyungsoo’s mouth, a pleading ‘Baekhyun-ah please...’ like a low growl only serves to spur him on more, to chew even louder just to have Kyungsoo say his name like that again or to watch his face twist in the cutest expressions. The magic of the sunset was casting a golden glow on Kyungsoo’s face, clinging to his eyelashes and Baekhyun thinks he's so beautiful, even with his eyes askance and lips pursed in annoyance at the sun in his eyes.

If only, Baekhyun thinks, if only Helios would take a tiny detour before he plunged into the ocean with the sun, so that Baekhyun could have just a few more moments to appreciate Kyungsoo bathed in the muted light of dusk.

“I’m really, really sorry about what happened earlier.”

Helios cracks his whip and the sun dips further beyond the horizon. The pair are soon shrouded in a blanket of dark, with only the city lights and single lamppost to help them see that they pick up pickled radish to eat and not clumps of dirt. Baekhyun shrugs; he doesn’t mean to brush his apology aside but he’s really not who he wants to hear it from.

“Is your dad always that mean?”

“He’s...always been quite strict. But he never used to be mean, like this.”

There’s a pause as Kyungsoo hesitates, trying to pick the right words as he picks out the pieces of chopped up olives on his slice of pizza. Baekhyun waits patiently for him, focusing on the dogs, who had finished their dinners long ago, as they chased each other tirelessly down and up the grassy slopes that led to the river.

“Before me, he used to teach my brother how to breed poodles, and how to exhibit them at SM. I always looked up to him. Seungsoo-hyung was always great with the puppies, and father always imagined that one day he’d take over the business. Father talked him up to all the judges and they were all anticipating his debut at SM.”

“And then?” Baekhyun prompts, coaxing Kyungsoo gently to continue his story. He’s only mentioned his brother to Baekhyun a handful of times before, and Baekhyun remembers some random tidbits like how he loved the sports and great outdoors. How he loved his poodle, Hoochoo, so much that when she was a puppy, no bigger than his hand, he had smuggled her into his high school in his thick winter coat. The teachers had found out when Hoochoo, bored during the mid-morning history class, had wriggled free of Seungsoo’s grasp and toddled to the front of the class, and relieved herself at Mdm. Lee’s feet. Their father had chewed him out, and Seungsoo was subsequently prohibited from having dogs in his room on weekday nights. Baekhyun had felt a strong affinity with Seungsoo then, having also had his ears twisted by his mother when it was discovered that he was raising an army of stray kittens in the old school building.

“He fell in love. She was very pretty and very smart and aspired to be a veterinarian.”

There’s a gravity in Kyungsoo’s voice, and Baekhyun’s puzzled. “Is that bad?”

“Of course not. I was happy to see him happy. But father didn’t approve of her. He had illusions of Seungsoo-hyung marrying a young lady from the same social strata, and someone who would be involved in SM and the family business. Miran-noona wasn’t like that. She wasn’t rich, and she wasn’t supportive of an industry that bred dogs just to show them off. Father asked my brother to choose between the family and her.”

“What did your brother choose?” Baekhyun asks, his voice quiet.

“Seungsoo-hyung’s in the US now with Miran-noona while she gets her doctorate.”

A silence settles between them, and the dogs run back just then, begging for scratches. Meokmool climbs into Kyungsoo’s lap, not caring that Kyungsoo’s still eating, or that she’s leaving wet muddy pawprints on his nice trousers. “Since then my father’s been…” He makes a strangled noise as Mongryong tries to climb onto his lap as well, and since he’s not as well-behaved as Meokmool, he’s extended the trail of pawprints up Kyungsoo’s chest as he tries to reach for the piece of pizza in his hand. He’s pulled away by Baekhyun, who gives him one of Kyungsoo’s homemade treats to get him to behave. “He’s revved up his antics a thousand percent. My father’s adamant that I not be like him. That I stay and take over D.O. Poodles.”

“And do you want that?”

Mongryong whines, having finished his treat. He lays his snout on Baekhyun’s knee, and looks at both men with the saddest eyes he can muster, but neither relent.

Kyungsoo chews, mulling over the question. “I love our poodles, but breeding and showing… that’s what he wants me to do, not what I want to do.”

“Then what do you want?” Baekhyun strokes Mongryong between his eyes and the corgi quietens down, his need for attention sated.

“I don’t think it matters what I want. It’s all about what my father thinks is best, and-” A frustrated noise from Kyungsoo’s throat interjects the sentence. “It’s something you wouldn’t understand. You get to live on your own and do what you like.”

“Try me.” There's a spark of a confrontation in Baekhyun's voice and Kyungsoo immediately shrinks, whispering an apology into the darkness. Baekhyun regrets saying it, just like a lot of other things he’s said today, but it’s difficult now to shrug the topic off.

It was just hard to talk about what happened; it was a wound that was only half healed, a strip of tender and pink flesh that needed only a poke before it’s raw again, throbbing with pain.

Baekhyun had always lived in the shadow of his brother. He was much older, and had his life together — he was a lawyer, married, and had two perfect grandchildren, fulfilling everything Baekhyun’s father had expected of a son. His father had expected Baekhyun to follow in his footsteps, but Baekhyun had chosen music over law, much preferring pianos over pleading.

That was forgivable, but liking men was not.

If it wasn’t for his grandmother and Mongryong, the new apartment Baekhyun had to move into after getting kicked out would have felt even emptier and lonelier than it already was.

“I’m sorry.” Kyungsoo whispers, after Baekhyun stops speaking. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry I just assumed.”

Baekhyun lets out a deep breath. “Don’t be sorry.” He feels strangely lighter, with the frustration that he’d held in for so long off his chest. “No more apologising for today.”

“Actually,” Kyungsoo begins, voice shaking slightly as he addresses Baekhyun. “I have one more thing I want to apologise for.”

Baekhyun tilts his head, giving Kyungsoo the all clear to go ahead.

“I’m really sorry I never told you this before, but, I really like you.”

Baekhyun feels like he’s suspended in space. For a moment he thought he heard Kyungsoo say he liked Baekhyun. He sneaks a peek at Kyungsoo, and the younger man is sat staring at Baekhyun with a curious expression, lost between fondness and nerves, lips in a moue. “Wha-?” He repeats, eloquently.

“I like you.” Kyungsoo says, with more conviction this time, and Baekhyun falls back down to earth with a thunderous crash.

“Me? You like _me_? Me as in Byun Baekhyun?”

“Yes.”

He’s incredulous at Kyungsoo’s admission. Baekhyun has spent hours and hours imagining a million futures with Kyungsoo, raising a family of poodle-corgi hybrids (in some futures they’re called cordles, and in others, poogis), thinking his feelings were painfully one-sided. But Kyungsoo liked him!

Nervous laughter gushes from Baekhyun’s throat like a spring, and Mongryong, excited by the sounds of his owner’s cheer, jumps up to lick at Baekhyun’s cheek. “Oh Soo! I like you too, I like you so much. I’ve liked you for so long!”

Kyungsoo’s ears are burning so red they look almost like Christmas lights in the dark. His worried frown melts into a smile; it unfurls slowly on his face, like a new leaf in spring.

“Oh. Well, I had an inkling, but I wasn’t sure.”

A rush of heat envelops Baekhyun’s neck. Was it that obvious?

“You always followed me around like a puppy, and you, you like to touch me and flirt with me.” Baekhyun scratches his neck nervously at that. “But then you act like that with others too, so I thought, maybe I wasn’t special. I didn’t want to ask you, and, and, I don’t know.” Kyungsoo pouts, and brings a hand up to wrap around Baekhyun’s wrist. “I didn’t want to risk being wrong.”

“You’re not wrong.” Baekhyun whispers, and Kyungsoo’s smile widens so that his cheeks look extra pinchable and his nose crinkles.

“Hey, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun fidgets, folds his hands primly on his lap. “Can I kiss you?”

Kyungsoo’s raises an eyebrow but then he closes his eyes, face open and beautiful. Baekhyun admires the sharp angles of his jaw and soft fat of his cheeks, the elegant curves of his lips. Kyungsoo’s gravitational pull is strong and Baekhyun lets himself be drawn wholly into it. There’s a tension stretching tightly between like sheets on a bed, and it releases when Baekhyun finally presses his lips on Kyungsoo’s. It had started out hesitant at first, Baekhyun had been unsure of whether he should’ve waited till he had formally asked Kyungsoo out on a few dates, and held his hand in a dark movie theatre before he dived into a kiss, but Kyungsoo reciprocates and Baekhyun’s hesitance falls away like a discarded veil. The heat gradually rises as Kyungsoo begins to kiss him with more fervour, his lips hot and slick as he coaxed Baekhyun’s mouth open.

It was embarrassing how quickly Baekhyun becomes pliant under Kyungsoo’s ministrations. Baekhyun was nothing more than silly putty in Kyungsoo’s hands. Sure, he had initiated the kiss, but Kyungsoo had taken it from a walk to a sprint, stealing his breath by grazing his teeth on Baekhyun’s lips, and the flick of his tongue against Baekhyun’s own.

He had lost enough strength in his fingers that he had only been able to grasp weakly at Kyungsoo’s wrist as the younger man licked his way into Baekhyun’s mouth, planted open-mouthed kisses down his jaw and whatever patches of skin his hoodie left exposed. Kyungsoo chases his lips, kissing Baekhyun leisurely like he had all the time in the world, and Baekhyun feels his heartbeat stutter under Kyungsoo’s fingers.

Kyungsoo likes him! Kyungsoo likes him and was kissing him senseless! He lets out a contented sigh as they pull apart, and Kyungsoo scratches lightly at the sensitive spot behind Baekhyun’s ear admiring the red flush that was consuming his neck. Kyungsoo is panting too, breathless from the kiss. His lips are red and slick with spit, and Baekhyun thinks he is absolutely beautiful like this. What if they just forgot about the competition and spent their days on something more worth their time, like making out? He’d much rather spend his days drinking in the taste of Kyungsoo’s lips, or mapping out the points in his mouth that make him keen.

“Kyungsoo?”

“Yes?” Kyungsoo responds, a little dazed.

“When Mongryong and I win _Best in Show_ tomorrow, will you be my boyfriend?”

“No.” He says, and Baekhyun’s heart plunges before he hears the rest of Kyungsoo’s response.

“When Meokmool and I win _Best in Show_ , will you be _my_ boyfriend?”

Laughter bubbles out of Baekhyun’s chest, throaty ha ha has that sound like notes played on a marimba, fortissimo. He leans in again to kiss Kyungsoo in assent.

 

\---

 

The convention hall is alight with activity despite it being early in the day. The audience were a mixed bag — breeders looking for mates for their dogs, breed enthusiasts (Baekhyun smiles gratefully at a group of people holding signs that say ‘WELSH CORGI FOR BEST IN SHOW’), celebrities (that man with the sunglasses was definitely a member of a famous boyband) and regular ol’ pet lovers were all in attendance, excited to see which dog would be crowned _Best in Show_.

Baekhyun fidgets in his suit. It’s a dark blue suit that his grandmother got him for his graduation a couple of years ago. It’s much tighter now he’s spent the last few years growing his ass out leading a mostly sedentary lifestyle at his job, but it was the only matching set he owned. If he wasn’t so sure Kyungsoo would choke him with his bare hands if he wore something that didn’t match the formality of the occasion, Baekhyun would’ve showed up in his sweatpants and uggs, since it was much more comfortable to move around it. He says a quick prayer to all the gods, demigods and semigods to please keep his ass in check, and to keep the seams from ripping in front of a packed audience when he bends to stack Mongryong during the competition.

A tap on his shoulder shakes him from his prayers and he turns to find Kyungsoo, looking impossibly more handsome than he already was. He’d ditched his sweater for a suit today, but unlike Baekhyun’s, his was a light grey to stand out against Meokmool’s dark fur. If Meokmool was the Do Empire’s best bitch, then surely Kyungsoo was their best stud.

“Good morning.” Kyungsoo says, and Baekhyun flushes, thinking back to the night before when he had kissed Baekhyun dumb with those same pillowy lips. “Ready for the conformation show?”

“Hnm, not really.” Baekhyun confesses. He was born to be in the spotlight; he blooms like a flower in the sun when he’s given attention. However, the encounter with Mr. Do had beat him down a little bit, and he was feeling a foreign fluttering sensation in his gut — nervousness.

“What are you so nervous for? You’re a natural, you’re going to do great.”

Kyungsoo’s words were comforting but they did nothing to quell Baekhyun’s worries of tripping on stage, or ripping his pants. Above all, he didn’t want to disappoint Kyungsoo, who had invested so much time and energy preparing both Baekhyun and Mongryong for this very show. (Although, honestly, it seemed like no matter which way the show went, Baekhyun might still end up disappointing Kyungsoo. If he didn’t win _Best in Show_ , Kyungsoo would be disappointed in Baekhyun. But if he did win _Best in Show_ , Kyungsoo would probably be happy for him but be disappointed in himself and that would upset Baekhyun too. Baekhyun screams inwardly at the dilemma.)

Kyungsoo pulls out more treats for Mongryong, except this time, they are in the shape of little trophies. He had stayed up late to make these extra biscuits, and heartened, Baekhyun lets him feed Mongryong one or three. Mongryong licks every crumb off his fingers, and then tries to beg for more with his limpid eyes.

“Anyway, I have a treat for you too. Something for the butterflies.”

“For me? You’re spoiling me here.”

“Close your eyes. And hold out your hand.”

It was so unlike Kyungsoo to make such requests, but Baekhyun complies, holding out his hands cutely. Then suddenly, plush lips press softly against his own. It’s a moment frozen in time, and Baekhyun sighs into the kiss. The kiss doesn’t last as long as Baekhyun likes, but they’re in public, in full view of others and so he lets Kyungsoo pull away, and tries not to sulk too much.

Baekhyun tries to say something, anything at all, but his mind had already left the building, boarded the express train to a domestic fantasy with Kyungsoo. Its destination: a fantasy of being caged between Kyungsoo’s arms against the kitchen counters, alternating between making out and making gourmet biscuits for Meokmool and Mongryong.

Baekhyun rides this high all throughout roll call and rehearsals, barely registering the little x on the floor where the stage manager had instructed him to stand. It was too hard to focus when Kyungsoo was made to line up in front of Baekhyun, and Baekhyun wants nothing but to hold him close and kiss him again and again.

There’s a roar of applause from beyond the curtains that separate the ring from where they stood backstage, and even though Kyungsoo promised that his kiss would chase away the pre-show butterflies, he could feel them returning, flapping their wings and making his insides turn. Mongryong, for all his bravery the past day, seemed a lot more reserved and quiet, save for the occasional whimper.

“What’s up, boy?” Baekhyun gets down on his knee to get closer to Mongryong.

“Is he nervous?” His pitiful cries had caught the attention of Kyungsoo, who peers down at Mongryong curiously.

“He must be?” Baekhyun strokes Mongryong, trying to assuage his anxieties, but he continues to whine. “But he’s never been like this.” As a puppy, Mongryong used to be nervous around buses, with their engines that roared like monsters and horns as loud as harpies. It was impossible to walk Mongryong along the main street in the beginning, when all Mongryong wanted to do was run, desperate to get as far away as possible from the terrifying mechanical beasts that ate up lines and lines of humans.

But Mongryong now didn’t seem afraid or nervous. He panted heavily, and though he seemed uncomfortable, seemed reluctant or unable to move at all from where he’s sat at Baekhyun’s feet. Perhaps Mongryong was really just having pre-show jitters but it distresses Baekhyun nonetheless, and he pulls out another one of Kyungsoo’s homemade biscuits, hoping a snack will calm the corgi. Mongryong takes only a nibble of the little biscuit trophy before turning his head away, which leaves Baekhyun truly flabbergasted and concerned, because Mongryong was usually a gluttonous demon that never was picky when it came to food.

“Something’s really wrong with him.”

Baekhyun lifts Mongryong to his feet, and the corgi takes a few wobbly paces before he gives up, and lays back down, stomach heaving as he begins to gasp. His paws shiver and Baekhyun holds one limply in his hand, feeling absolutely stupid and unable to help. Kyungsoo too, looks down with concern, but before he can say anything else, the announcer is speaking again, announcing his and Meokmool’s titles.

“And next, Mr. Do Kyungsoo and his Standard Poodle, Champion D.O. Play Anotha Slow Jam Meokmool.” The curtain is pulled open wide, and there’s thunderous applause from the crowd outside as they cheer for their favourite to win the top prize.

“I-” Kyungsoo hesitates, eyes shifting from Baekhyun to Mongryong, who has started to drool, strings of saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth. The crowd is still cheering, clearly desperate to see the young heir of D.O. Poodles and their prize dog, but he stands rooted to the spot, unable to leave Baekhyun and Mongryong.

“You have to go, they’re waiting for you.”

The stage manager taps her foot impatiently, but Kyungsoo could care less; he gestures at the drool that’s beginning to puddle under Mongryong’s jaw. “But Mongryong, he’s-” “He’ll be fine.”

It’s then that Mongryong heaves, and vomits, spewing the contents of his stomach in a sticky puddle of yellow sick on the floor. The stage manager sighs insufferably, and the other contestants turn a blind eye, and Baekhyun feels like he’s on the edge of a precipice, a heartbeat away from diving into full-blown panic.

“Oh my god.” Kyungsoo exclaims, and rushes to Baekhyun’s side, offering a handkerchief that he’d pulled from his pocket.

“Please, just go.”

“What?”

“Go! The conformation!”

Reluctantly, Kyungsoo nods, and runs through the curtains and into the ring with Meokmool. Baekhyun watches as he jogs around the ring, effortlessly elegant as he steps in perfect rhythm Meokmool and Baekhyun feels absolutely wretched. His nose prickles and oh no, he realises he’s about to fucking cry here, in public, in front of all these people who already had a low opinion of him, and the thought only makes him want to cry even more.

“Mr. Byun, you’re next.” The stage manager says, and gestures to the curtains. It’s half-open, and Baekhyun can see the purple carpet of the ring, a glimpse of the crowd, a flash of the trophy as it sits on a podium right in the middle. The crowd is murmuring and Baekhyun imagines them talking among themselves about how Baekhyun was inexperienced, how they were upstarts, and that they were both mutts unworthy of the crown, and he felt incapable of fighting against what they thought of him.

“Mr. Byun?” The stage manager prompts again, and Baekhyun shakes his head, picks up Mongryong and runs.

 

\---

 

Baekhyun sits on a bench outside the convention hall, nursing Mongryong. It’s quiet where they are, nothing but the distant muted sound of the announcer’s voice at the conformation show, saying one thing or another about how the best Airedale Terriers were ideally between 15 to 16 inches. Baekhyun is grateful that dogs can’t understand what human were saying, or they’d hate humans for all the expectations they put on dogs’ bodies. There’s the sound of sniffles too although he can’t tell if they’re coming from Mongryong or himself.

“My sweet, sweet baby boy.” He whispers, stroking Mongryong gently, from head to rump, hoping to ease whatever discomfort was left in the corgi’s body. The poor pup’s thrown up a few more times, leaving a sticky trail of vomit down the front of Baekhyun’s trousers but it’s okay, because he seems to have weathered through whatever that has been ailing him.

Was Mongryong sick? He was fine the day before, and even this morning; he had woken Baekhyun just as he had every morning since he’d come to live with him, trampling Baekhyun’s airways with his paws. He was cheerful throughout breakfast and he even let the old ladies at the exercise corner tug on his cheeks without a single complaint during their morning walk around the neighbourhood.

He had been absolutely fine the entire time until, well, until they came to the convention hall. Could it be…?

“Well, look who it is.”

Baekhyun didn’t have to look up to know who was there. Mr. Do had a distinctive voice; it was caramelly like Kyungsoo, but it had sharp edges, like bits of honeycomb that stick in your teeth and hurt when you swallow.

“Told you to be careful, didn’t I?” He says, Baekhyun hears the crunch of the caramel. There’s a hint of glee in his voice and the knife in Baekhyun’s chest twists, because he knows for a fact now that whatever happened to Mongryong, he had a hand in it.

He takes a deep breath in, wills the lump in his throat to disappear, breathes out. “What did you do to Mongryong?”

Mr. Do paces slowly, the sound of his wingtips against the marble floors echoing loudly in the empty hallway. “Did your dog like the biscuits my son made for him?”

Baekhyun’s breath strangles in his throat. No, no no no.

“He worked so hard on those biscuits, even though he should’ve spent that time instead grooming Meokmool. So I decided to help, by adding a secret ingredient in the batter. Though it might have slipped my mind then that macadamia nuts weren’t very good for dogs…” With a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, he turns and smiles at Baekhyun, in a ‘oh silly me’ manner and it takes all of Baekhyun not to plunge a hand into his neck and rip his throat out right then and there.

A wave of nausea hits Baekhyun — he had expected as much from someone like Mr. Do, but what kind of monster would go as far as to implicate his own son in something as heinous as this. Kyungsoo who, despite being quick to use his judo skills on Baekhyun when he was being annoying, was as gentle as a lamb when it came to dogs. He felt even sicker realising he’d fed this poison to Mongryong with his own hands. Unknowingly, he’d let Mongryong lick every virulent crumb off his fingers.

“I’ll report this.”

“Go ahead.” Mr. Do checks his cuticles, because of course his nails were a more pressing matter than Mongryong almost dying. “Run and tell the organisers. I’m sure they’ll want more trouble on their hands than they already have, dealing with the animal rights activists heckling them at every corner. And most of all they’re not going to persecute me, one of their biggest donors.”

Mr. Do laughs and Baekhyun seethes, realising that it’s true, that he could get away with his awful behaviour. “You’re the worst.”

“But I’m right.” The taunts from the older man don’t stop. “Perhaps you should just leave now before the competition ends and my son sees you like this. Although I don’t suppose he’ll have any reason to talk to you once he’s cinched Best in Show.”

“Why would I not want to talk to Baekhyun?”

“Kyungsoo!” Baekhyun exclaims, voice almost breaking at the relief he feels seeing the younger man's face.

With Meokmool bounding behind him, the younger man crosses the distance between them in several large steps to kneel in front of Baekhyun. He’s panting like he’s just run the entire perimeter of the convention hall, but that’s secondary to the concern he’s showering on Baekhyun and Mongryong.

“Shouldn’t you be inside? Winning the title?”

“You didn’t walk through the curtains so I got worried. Are you alright?”

“So then, you just, _left_?”

“I had to know if you and Mongryong were alright.” Kyungsoo says, a little sheepishly, like he’s just realised he left in the middle of a competition he’d been training years for just to check on a rival’s condition. Baekhyun can’t hide the surprise on his face, and neither can Kyungsoo’s father. His face was twisting, going through many permutations of negative emotions until he settles on rage.

“You _LEFT_?” He snarls, his skin turning a deep purple with rage. Kyungsoo nods, and his father takes several steps closer until he looms like a shadow over the two, huddle together on the bench. Meokmool rattled slightly by Mr. Do’s hostile stance, backs up against Kyungsoo, sharp teeth bared in snarl.

“How dare you embarrass D.O. Poodles like this? What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking-” Kyungsoo stands to his full height, squaring his shoulders so he seemed wider, like an umbrella shielding Baekhyun from the glaring rays of the sun. “I was thinking that I no longer want to be associated with D.O. Poodles.” His voice had been soft, shaking slightly at first, but gradually liquid courage seeps through its cracks, steeling his conviction.

“What?” Mr. Do points an accusing finger at Baekhyun. “Is it him? What did he do to you?” Mr. Do’s eyes roam over the two men’s proximity to each other, how Kyungsoo’s hands were on Baekhyun’s knee, how they spoke to each other so tenderly, their faces barely inches apart.

“It’s more of what you did to him. Father, I-” Kyungsoo turns to glance at Baekhyun, and finds a lick of courage in the hopeful smile Baekhyun shoots him. “I care a lot about Baekhyun. And Mongryong. And what you’ve done to them both is really unacceptable.”

Electricity sparks in the air between father and son. Mr. Do nearly chokes on his own spittle with anger at his son’s rebuke. The moment was tense, and Baekhyun was reminded of the old kettle his grandmother used to boil water in — the way the boiling water within made the lid dance, the soft clattering soon giving way to shrill whistling and hot steam pouring from the spout. Like the moment before the whistle, Mr. Do was nearly at his boiling point, and if Baekhyun squints he thinks he might be able to see steam leak from his ears.

“After all I’ve done for you? I moulded you into a champion and you’d throw it all away for-”

“I don’t want to be recognised at the expense of others.” Kyungsoo’s chest heaves, as he becomes more excited, breath coming in quicker, heavier pants. “I want to make my own decisions now.”

“Meaning?”

“I want to quit D.O. Poodles. I want to do something that I love. Something that I’ve chosen myself. And I want to be with someone that I love.” Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun again, a sweet, self-conscious smile, like a sliver of luminous moonlight. Emboldened by the younger man’s acknowledgement, Baekhyun coaxes Mongryong off his lap and moves to stand next to Kyungsoo, and slips his hand shyly into his.

Baekhyun can’t react fast enough to what comes next. “You! You corrupted my son!” Mr. Do steps forward to grab Baekhyun by the collar, and Baekhyun stumbles forward violently, tripping over Meokmool’s leash. He tries to push off Mr. Do’s fist, but his grip was too strong, twisted too tightly in his lapel. It isn’t tight enough to restrict Baekhyun’s breathing but Baekhyun feels a little choked up anyway. It was almost like deja vu; if he closed his eyes, the angry voice and the fist against his chest could very well belong to his own father. Baekhyun fights the sting in his eyes but the tears fall anyway, which only irritates Mr. Do more, and he tugs on Baekhyun’s jacket more roughly, trying to get him to fight back.

In the midst of the commotion, Mr. Do doesn’t notice Mongryong, fast as lightning and looking just as electric with his golden fur, darting off the bench. It’s only when his jaws clamp down on his left ankle that Mr. Do lets out a shriek.

“Get off!” Mr. Do shakes his leg frantically but Mongryong doesn’t yield. His ears are flattened against his head as he sinks his teeth further into the older man’s ankle which gets him to finally let go of Baekhyun. Baekhyun falls back, choking, against Kyungsoo, who has gathered Meokmool in his arms to stop her from entering the fray.

This was all a scene out of Baekhyun’s dream diary but there was no satisfaction to be gleaned when the pain was Mr. Do felt was real and there was actual blood spotting the fine material of his trousers. The man was a monster though, so he lets Mongryong chomp one last time at his ankle for posterity before he calls Mongryong to heel. The corgi lets go but he continues to growl, hackles raised, and lips curled back to show off his sharp canines. Baekhyun scrambles to grab ahold of Mongryong’s leash, which wriggles around on the floor like a snake as he weaves around Mr. Do’s feet, trying to avoid the man’s stomps.

“I’ll report this!” He threatens. “I’ll have your dog put down.”

Baekhyun laughs in disbelief. It was pathetic, how the older man was raving at him now about reporting when he had mocked Baekhyun earlier for saying the same thing. Of course, that Mr. Do was actually powerful enough to get the committee to investigate and have Mongryong convicted as a mad dog to be put down was a niggling and persistent thought. He glances up as discreetly he can to sweep the ceiling, and once he spots them, throws a peace sign in the direction of each security camera he sees.

“Bite me!” Baekhyun says with a laugh. “I’m sure they’d love to see the footage of how he came to give you a little nibble on your ankle.”

Mr. Do hisses, and makes to move towards Baekhyun again with his fist raised, but Mongryong strains against his leash, barking agitatedly at him. Baekhyun briefly considers slackening his hold on the leash, accidentally-on-purpose, so that Mongryong can take another bite of Mr. Do’s ankle. Maybe on the right ankle this time so that he’d have matching bite marks, but Mr. Do backs away.

Ah, what did Baekhyun’s grandmother used to say? Once bitten, twice shy, the age old epithet. He laughs out loud and basks in the mixed feeling of fear and irritation that Mr. Do emits.

Mr. Do grits his teeth. “Fine, I’ll leave. But this is not the end of it.” That comment is aimed at Kyungsoo, at whom he gives a meaningful glare before he finally stalks off.

He’s limping slightly, but Baekhyun could care less. Dropping to his knees, he turns his attention instead to Mongryong, checking his teeth and paws for any injuries; the evil old toad could have poisonous skin that would aggravate Mongryong's condition. Thankfully, there’s not a scratch on him, and he’s calm, with an expression so serene that Baekhyun doesn’t believe he was the same dog that had been snarling with so much aggression earlier. Baekhyun gathers Mongryong into his arms and smothers him with a huge hug, so grateful that Mongryong had come to his rescue.

There’s a small cough, and Baekhyun turns to see Kyungsoo standing to the side, cradling Meokmool. “Oh.” Baekhyun stands, groaning a little as he always does when he attempts to pick Mongryong and his hefty tummy up. “I’m- I am so, so sorry my dog attacked your father.”

“He’ll live.” Kyungsoo says, so matter-of-fact that Baekhyun can’t help but chuckle. “I am sorry too, I should have done something when he grabbed at you like that.”

“Ah, no more apologies then, we're even.” Baekhyun mumbles as he sidles close to Kyungsoo. The younger man nods, and Baekhyun leans forward, intending to plant one of Kyungsoo. The trajectory of his lips is stopped by Meokmool however, who sticks a paw out, hitting Baekhyun on the mouth.

Kyungsoo’s shoulders bunch up as he laughs at Baekhyun’s confused face, turns so that Meokmool’s limbs can no longer reach their faces and meets Baekhyun halfway in a kiss. It starts as a chaste peck, lip to lip, and Baekhyun sighs in relief. It’s clichéd but it feels like there are fireworks, or thunderous applause as Kyungsoo deepens the kiss, sucking on Baekhyun’s bottom lip so that he gasps.

The fireworks were just extras added by Baekhyun’s hyper-romantic imagination but the applause was real; the noise bled out from the down the hall, where the doors of the convention hall had been thrown open. There are hollers and whistles as the announcer declares Grand Champion Oh’s Party Till The Sundown the Bichon Frise the winner of the conformation.

“Aw they’re cheering for us.”

“You’re dumb.” Kyungsoo plants a kiss on his left cheek, and then his right, and Baekhyun crinkles his nose because it tickles.

They share a moment, taking comfort in each other’s bashful smiles, and then- “It could’ve been you and Meokmool on the podium right now, taking home the trophy and the prizes. I saw that they had champagne.” Baekhyun has the decency to look ashamed, feeling entirely responsible for Kyungsoo’s loss, in more ways than one.

Kyungsoo snorts. “Like I can’t get my own champagne. I'm rich, remember? I would have had to anyway.” He drops his voice. “Between you and me, it was clear I wasn’t going to win. That Bichon Frise had all the judges wrapped around his finger, or paw really, with a very generous donation to the Kennel Club and his adorable teddy bear cut.”

“Ah.” Baekhyun hums. “Oh but. But does this mean we can’t be boyfriends?”

Kyungsoo frowns slightly, thinking. “What, why?”

“Neither of us won.” Baekhyun bites on the inside of his cheek in a bid to stop himself from pouting. “So we can’t be boyfriends.”

That sets off a fit of laughter from Kyungsoo and Baekhyun continues to pout, having placed way too much importance on the agreement they had made the night before. Mongryong, who had been sitting contentedly in Baekhyun’s arms begins to fuss. He wriggles with all his might, like a fat furry caterpillar trying to break out of its cocoon. Baekhyun quickly sets him down, worried he might fall and break a something — Mongryong had already gone through one emergency too many for the day. Meokmool, now realising that freedom would be granted after a brief struggle, begins to whine as well and Kyungsoo too sets her down. He sits on his haunches so that he could be eye-level with Baekhyun, who was on his knees as Mongryong walked around him, tangling him up with his leash.

“You’re really dumb, you know that?”

“Uh, yeah, you’ve told me twenty times already in the past five minutes.”

“Be my boyfriend?”

Baekhyun shoots Kyungsoo a dirty side-eye.

“You’re asking me like this? My dog just chucked all over my trousers.”

“And yet I still want you to be my boyfriend, so just be thankful I’m asking.”

Baekhyun scoffs before he tugs on Kyungsoo’s wrist, pulling the younger man to his knees with a groan. Now, he's just close enough so that Baekhyun doesn’t have lean forward too far to press his lips against Kyungsoo’s, to feel Kyungsoo smile into his kiss, and his hummingbird heartbeat through his wrist.

“Yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> i felt like a monster googling foods that were poisonous to dogs so i want to formally apologise to all dogs in the world i love you and i would never intentionally feed you anything that would upset your tummies.


End file.
